Method and apparatus for the concurrent stripping of bobbins

ABSTRACT

The instant invention is directed to an apparatus to enable the stripping of two or more bobbins at once. The mechanism provides for the tilting of a downstream bobbin by means of guides back towards an upstream bobbin so that a strand may be unwound from each bobbin without incurring breakage of a strand as the lead bobbin proceeds away from the stripping unit.

United States Patent [191 Golm et a1.

1 1 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR THE CONCURRENT STRIPPING OF BOBBINS [75]Inventors: Gunter G. Golm, Providence;

Thomas Edgar Pitts, Cranston, both of R1 [73] Assignee: LeesonaCorporation, Warnick, R.l.

[22] Filed: Oct. 25, 1973 21 Appl. No.: 409,582

[52} US. Cl. 28/19 [51] Int. Cl D03d 45/58 [58] Field of Search 28/19,20

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,132,344 10/1938 Kleeb, Jr28/19 2,267,679 12/1941 Terrell ct a1 1451 Feb. 18, 1975 2,761,1949/1956 Terrell et al. 28/20 2,865,081 12/1958 Moos 28/19 3,528,1509/1970 Schmid 28/19 Primary ExaminerMervin Stein Attorney, Agent, orFirm-Albert P. Davis; Burnett W. Norton [57] ABSTRACT The instantinvention is directed to an apparatus to enable the stripping of two ormore bobbins at once. The mechanism provides for the tilting of adownstream bobbin by means of guides back towards an upstream bobbin sothat a strand may be unwound from each bobbin without incurring breakageof a strand as the lead bobbin proceeds away from the stripping unit.

10 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures APATENTEDFEBIBIQYS 3.866278 SHEET 10F 2FIG.1

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR THE CONCURRENT STRIPPING OF BOBBINS BACKGROUNDOF THE INVENTION Mechanisms for stripping of residual yarn remainingupon processed bobbins are well known in the art and are employed inorder to provide a clean surface for rewinding of yarn thereon forsubsequent operations. In the stripping operation, however, bobbins arestripped singly, i.e. one at a time, which is disadvantageous with, forexample, winding machines associated with looms utilizing a plurality ofshuttles for the weaving of multicolored fabric. This is necessarily sosince such looms require a continuing supply of bobbins having varyingcolor of yarn wound thereon available to the shuttles when called for.This therefore necessitates the rapid stripping of resiudal yarn fromthe already used bobbins to ready the bobbins for rewinding in order tomeet the demand of the loom. It is therefore highly desirable that anapparatus and method be provided capable of stripping a plurality ofbobbins at once following usage of the wound bobbins, by, for example, aloom wherein multicolor yarns from individual bobbins are employed inweaving.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The instant invention is directed to anapparatus for enabling the stripping of at least two bobbins at once. Inone embodiment the apparatus includes a front guide having a horizontaland inclined portion and a pair of opposing rear guides which areresiliently urged into position by suitable means. These guides act totip a downstream bobbin, which enters between the guides in a verticalposition with the butt end down, in an upstream direction towards anadjacent bobbin. In an alternative embodiment opposing guides areemployed with one of the guides having horizontal and inclined portionsand configured to the diameter of a bobbin to engage and tip adownstream bobbin towards an upstream bobbin to provide for theaforementioned concurrent stripping.

The instant invention also relates to a method of stripping yarn fromtwo or more bobbins at once including tilting of a downstream bobbin,which is initially in a vertical position with the butt end down,towards an adjacent upstream bobbin in order to aim the tip of thebobbin toward thestripper cone and allow continued stripping withoutincurring premature breakage of the yarn.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION It is therefore a principal object of thepresent invention to provide an apparatus to enable stripping of yarnfrom two or more bobbins at once in, for example, association with aloom employing a plurality of shuttles for the weaving of multi-coloredcloth.

It is an additional object of the present invention to provide a methodfor stripping of two or more bobbins at once in association with, forexample, a loom employing a plurality of shuttles for the weaving ofmulticolored cloth.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a front elevational view showingthe instant invention in association with a stripping mechanism andshowing a downstream bobbin tilted in an upstream direction towards anadjacent bobbin.

FIG. 2 is a detailed front elevational view of the instant inventionshowing the guides to tip a bobbin towards an upstream adjacent bobbin.

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the instant invention.

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional taken along line 44 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a rear elevational view of the instant invention.

FIG. 6 is a top plan view of an alternative embodiment of the instantinvention showing the configuration of a guide associated therewith.

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary view of guides of the present inventionassociated with the guide of FIG. 6.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring firstly to FIG. I arotatable brush 10 is shown positioned beneath a guide chute II toengage the end of strands 12 upon bobbins B and unwind the endstherefrom, with the brush l0 suitably connected to means to rotate thebrush, not shown. A stripper cone 13 is suitably positioned andconnected to means to rotate the cone, also not shown,v to intercept thestrands 12 when they have been engaged by the brush l0 and after thebobbins have fallen to a base support 14 through the guide chute 11,with the butt end down, and have been urged to the apparatus of thepresent invention, shown generally by the arrow 16, by means, not shown.This means is such as to urge a bobbin forward along the base support14, after it has fallen thereto, a distance 'at least approximating,initially, the diameter of the butt end of the bobbin. Thereafter, inthe zone of the apparatus of the instant invention, the bobbin isadvanced only a distance approximating the diameter of the butt end of abobbin, the reason for which will later become clear.

Reference is now made to FIG. 2 which shows the detailed structure ofthe apparatus of the present invention. As is shown bobbins B are shownpositioned upon the base support 14 which defines a common path oftravel. A mounting bracket 22 is fastened to the base support by meansof bolts 24 and 26 extending through elongated slots, now shown, of thebracket 22 and carries thereon an outwardly extending lip 28, moreclearly shown in FIG. 3. A guide 30 is fastened to the lip 28 by meansof bolts 40 and 42 and includes an inclined portion 44 and a generallyhorizontal portion 46, with respect to the base support 14, with theleading edges having a groove 47 running along the entire length thereofto slideably engage a ring R of a bobbin, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4.Opposing the guide 30 are opposing guides 48 and 50 pivotally mountedabout a support shaft 52, in a fashion which will later become clearwith reference to F I68. 3 and S. The shaft 52 extends through tabs 54and 56 of a second mounting bracket, as indicated by the arrow 58 andalso shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, and is secured thereto by means of retainerrings 60 and 70, respectively. Each of the guides 48 and 50 includegrooves 72 and 74, respectively, for engagement of a ring of a bobbin toguide the bobbin and tip the bobbin in the upstream direction incooperation with the guide 30. The groove 72 extends entirely across theface of the guide 48 and is inclined with respect to the base support14. The groove 74, which also commences at the downstream end of theguide 50, is horizontal with respect to the base support 14 andterminates in a lip 76 at the upstream portion of the guide 50 which thering of a bobbin overrides when urged into position.

Referring now to FIGS. 3 and 5 it is seen that the guide 48 includestabs 77 and 78 pivotally journalled about the support shaft 52, and thatthe guide 50 includes two similar tabs 79 and 80 likewise pivotallyjournalled about the support shaft 52 for support of these guides.Referring still to FIGS. 3 and 5 it is also seen that the secondmounting bracket 58 is generally "U shaped in form and is fastened tothe base support 14 by means of bolts 82 and 84. The bracket 58 includesupper and lower support members 86 and 88 re spectively, with the uppermember 86 including the previously mentioned tabs 54 and 56. As is alsoreadily seen the guides 48 and 50 include outwardly extending horizontaltabs 92 and 94 respectively. Springs 96 and 98 interconnect the tabs 92and 94, respectively and the lower support member 88 so that these tabsare urged in a downward direction and therefore the grooves 72 and 74towards the guide 30. To counteract this tendancy and therefore providea means of adjustment to regulate the distance, as required, between thegrooves 72 and 74 and the guide 30, wing bolts 99 and 100 are providedand extend through and are secured to the tabs 92 and 94 by means ofnuts 102 and 110 and abut against the lower support member 88. Thus, asthe wing bolts are tightened or loosened against the support member 88the distance is correspondingly increased or decreased between thegrooves 72 and 74 and the guide 30, as previously indicated, to providethe proper gripping of the bobbin and to accomodate for varying bobbindiameters.

An alternative embodiment of the guides of the present invention isshown in FIGS. 6 and 7which is new and useful wherein bobbins do notcarry rings thereon.

As shown in FIG. 6 a guide 112 is secured to a mounting bracket 22' bymeans of bolts 24 and 26' extending through elongated slots, not shown,of the mounting bracket 22..The guide 112 includes a generally inclinedportion with respect to the base support and a horizontal portion,corresponding to portions 44 and 46 as shown in FIG. 2. The, guide 112is further configured to correspond to the shape of a bobbin, i.e., alip 114 having two arcuate shaped .portions 116 and 118, with theportion 118 being inclined and the portion 116 being horizontal, areprovided to secure the shank portion of a bobbin and correspondingly therecessed slots thereby formed are configured to conform to the contourof the butt end portion of a bobbin.

In this embodiment the opposing guides 48 and 50 shown in FIG. 7, carrythereon lips 132 and 134 which abut against a bobbin and force thebobbin into each of the aforementioned slots and the arcuate shapedportions 116 and 118 of the lip 114.

In operation therefore a bobbin is, for example, initially dropped ontothe base support 14 through the chute 11. During this time the end of astrand of yarn, which may remain upon the bobbin, is picked up by therotating brush to cause the strand to be engaged and unwound by thestripper cone 13. The bobbin is concurrently urged bythe means, notshown, along the base support 14 to the guides of the instant inventionand initially positioned between the guide 30 and the opposing guide 50whereat the stripping operation commences. The bobbin is next urged to aposition between the guide 30 and the opposing guide 48 and tilted backin an upstream direction for continued stripping of the bobbin followingwhich the bobbin proceeds to downstream apparatus, not shown. Thevarious guides of the instant invention are adjustable to define thewidth of the path of travel of a bobbin due to the slots provided, aspreviously mentioned, in the mounting brackets, i.e., the mountingbrackets and therefore the guides 30 and 112 may move towards and awayfrom the opposing guides to define the path of travel.

It should be apparent that the present invention'may be embodied inother specific forms without departing from the spirit or essentialattributes thereof, all of which are intended to be encompassed by theappended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A stripping apparatus for the concurrent stripping of bobbinscomprising, means defining a common path, means associated with saidcommon path to urge bobbins therealong, means positioned relative tosaid common path' to strip a first bobbin in said common path, and meanspositioned in said common path to tilt a second downstream bobbin insaid common path adjacent said first bobbin in an upstream directiontowards said first bobbin and relative to said stripping means to enablethe concurrent stripping of said first and said second bobbins by saidstripping means.

2. Apparatus according .to claim 1 wherein said means for tiltingcomprises spaced apart guides having horizontal slots in a planeperpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said bobbins and inclinedslots with respect to a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis ofsaid bobbins downstream from said horizontal slots to engage rings aboutsaid bobbin and guide and tilt the bobbin.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2 including means associated with saidguides to adjust said guides so as to define the path of travel of saidbobbin.

4. Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said spaced apart guidescomprise a first guide and a pair of second opposing guides, each of thepair of second opposing guides having resilient means to urge each ofthe guides into gripping engagement with said bobbin.

5. An apparatus in accordance with claim 1 including guide means toguide said bobbins onto said common path, wherein said means to urgesaid bobbins along said common path is adapted to urge said bobbins adistance of about the diameter of the butt end of said bobbins, andwherein said stripping means comprises a rotatable brush operable toengage the end of a remaining strand on a bobbin and thereby strip saidstrand from said bobbin. 6. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein saidmeans for tilting comprises a first guide, and a second guide spacedapart from said first guide, said first guide having a horizontalarcuate shaped slot in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis ofsaid bobbins and an inclined arcuate shaped slot with respect to a planeperpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said bobbins downstream fromsaid horizontal slot, and resilient means to urge said first guide andsaid slots and said second guide toward a grippingrelationship with saidbobbins, said arcuate shaped slots being configured to accomodate thebutt end portions of an individual ones of said bobbins.

7. Apparatus according to claim 6 wherein said resilient means isassociated with said second guide to urge 9. A method to enable theconcurrent stripping of bobbins comprising, moving bobbins along acommon path of travel, tilting a downstream bobbin in said common pathtowards the upstream direction and an upstream bobbin said common pathand, concurrently stripping yarn from said bobbins.

10. A method according to claim 9 including resiliently guiding saidbobbins in said common path of travel.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No.528669278 Dated February 975 Inventor(s) Gunter G. GOlIIl et a1.

It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent andthat said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Column 6, line 5, after- "bobbin" the Word in should be inserted.

Signed and sealed this 27th day of May 1975.

(SEAL) Attest: Q

C. MARSHALL DANN RUTH C. MASON Commissioner of Patents Attesting Officerand Trademarks USCOMM-DC 6C376-F69 U.S. GOVERNMENY PRINYING OFFICE. 869-93 0 FORM Po-wso (10-69)

1. A stripping apparatus for the concurrent stripping of bobbinscomprising, means defining a common path, means associated with saidcommon path to urge bobbins therealong, means positioned relative tosaid common path to strip a first bobbin in said common path, and meanspositioned in said common path to tilt a second downstream bobbin insaid common path adjacent said first bobbin in an upstream directiontowards said first bobbin and relative to said sTripping means to enablethe concurrent stripping of said first and said second bobbins by saidstripping means.
 2. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said meansfor tilting comprises spaced apart guides having horizontal slots in aplane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said bobbins andinclined slots with respect to a plane perpendicular to the longitudinalaxis of said bobbins downstream from said horizontal slots to engagerings about said bobbin and guide and tilt the bobbin.
 3. Apparatusaccording to claim 2 including means associated with said guides toadjust said guides so as to define the path of travel of said bobbin. 4.Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said spaced apart guides comprisea first guide and a pair of second opposing guides, each of the pair ofsecond opposing guides having resilient means to urge each of the guidesinto gripping engagement with said bobbin.
 5. An apparatus in accordancewith claim 1 including guide means to guide said bobbins onto saidcommon path, wherein said means to urge said bobbins along said commonpath is adapted to urge said bobbins a distance of about the diameter ofthe butt end of said bobbins, and wherein said stripping means comprisesa rotatable brush operable to engage the end of a remaining strand on abobbin and thereby strip said strand from said bobbin.
 6. Apparatusaccording to claim 1 wherein said means for tilting comprises a firstguide, and a second guide spaced apart from said first guide, said firstguide having a horizontal arcuate shaped slot in a plane perpendicularto the longitudinal axis of said bobbins and an inclined arcuate shapedslot with respect to a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis ofsaid bobbins downstream from said horizontal slot, and resilient meansto urge said first guide and said slots and said second guide toward agripping relationship with said bobbins, said arcuate shaped slots beingconfigured to accomodate the butt end portions of an individual ones ofsaid bobbins.
 7. Apparatus according to claim 6 wherein said resilientmeans is associated with said second guide to urge said second guidetowards said first guide and thereby said individual bobbins into agripping relationship with said arcuate shaped slots in said firstguide.
 8. Apparatus according to claim 7 wherein said second guidecomprises a pair of individual guide members, one of said guide membersbeing positioned to cooperate with said horizontal arcuate shaped slotand the other of said guide members being positioned to cooperate withsaid inclined arcuate shaped slot to urge said individual bobbins to agripping relationship in said arcuate shaped slots.
 9. A method toenable the concurrent stripping of bobbins comprising, moving bobbinsalong a common path of travel, tilting a downstream bobbin in saidcommon path towards the upstream direction and an upstream bobbin saidcommon path and, concurrently stripping yarn from said bobbins.
 10. Amethod according to claim 9 including resiliently guiding said bobbinsin said common path of travel.